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UEFA

The German football association (DFB) has decided to launch a bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011. Following the success of last year’s FIFA World Cup TM, the DFB plans to recreate the friendly atmosphere of the festivals of football held in the host cities in 2006. The German bid has already met with a very positive response: several cities have indicated their wish to matches and the project is also looked upon favorably in political circles, in particular by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is strongly backing her country’s candidature. Women’s football is increasingly popular in Germany, whose clubs and national side regularly shine on the international stage.

Futsal, meanwhile, is enjoying a similar trajectory to women’s football in Europe, as illustrated by the Malta Football Association’s recent debut in the European Futsal Championship. In northern Europe, the Finnish football association staged the first ever Nordic Futsal Conference, to which representatives of the Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish associations were invited. The conference’s aim was to help Nordic countries to develop their futsal activities by showing them the work that has already been carried out in Finland. Futsal is also in vogue in the Netherlands and the Dutch football association is focusing on cooperation with schools in order to increase participation in the sport.

In England, The Football Association has signed a new cooperation agreement with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The cooperation will focus on the training and technical development of young players and will also include information-gathering and the donation of equipment. The cooperation will begin this year and will enable Asian football to benefit from its partner’s experience and know-how while also contributing to the personal and professional development of English instructors.